Despite the rapid growth of the sustainable beauty market, the determinants of consumer decision-making remain unclear. Prior research highlights the role of sustainability concerns, brand image, and price perception in shaping consumer behaviour, yet evidence remains inconclusive regarding their relative influence (Joshi & Rahman, 2015; Konuk, 2020). Moreover, the well-documented attitude–behaviour gap suggests that positive environmental attitudes do not always translate into actual purchase decisions (Wiederhold & Martinez, 2018). This study examines the role of perceived quality in shaping purchase intention within the context of green skincare. Building on prior research that identifies perceived quality as a central determinant of consumer evaluation (Zeithaml, 1988; Konuk, 2020), this research investigates both its direct effect and its mediating role between brand image, price perception, and purchase intention. A quantitative approach was employed using data collected from 160 respondents through an online survey. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to assess direct and indirect relationships between variables. The results show that perceived quality is the only variable with a statistically significant direct effect on purchase intention. In contrast, brand image and price perception do not directly influence purchase intention but significantly affect perceived quality, indicating an indirect effect on consumer decision-making. These findings suggest that consumers prioritise performance-related attributes over symbolic or economic cues when evaluating sustainable skincare products. This study challenges assumptions in sustainable marketing that emphasise brand positioning and pricing as primary drivers (Nguyen et al., 2019), highlighting instead the central role of perceived quality in bridging the intention–behaviour gap (Testa et al., 2021). Managerially, the findings underscore the importance of delivering and communicating credible product quality in increasingly competitive and information-rich markets.

This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, grant UID/315/2025 (DOI https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/00315/2025).

Perceived quality,Green skincare,Purchase intention,Brand image,Price perception

• Economia e Gestão - Ciências Sociais